1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to safe storage boxes, and more particularly, to improvements in the construction of safe storage boxes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In my U.S. Pat. No. 3,970,010, issued July 20, 1976, a safe storage box system is described which comprises a closeable, safe-type housing including a sliding frame movable from within the housing and defining side-loading safe storage box receiving compartments. As described in that patent, each safe storage box has a hinged cover and an integral front door portion to which is fixed a latch type lock. The safe storage box system illustrated in that patent has proved very successful and has met a previously unsatisfied need.
Improvements have been made relating to the lock housing and the arrangement of the locking device with the frame.
For instance, it has been discovered that although it was not necessary to have a separate lockable door when utilizing the system in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 3,970,010, in accordance with that system, there was provided a safe chest with a hinged safe door which prevented access to the safe storage boxes, and thus the overall system was safer than conventional safe deposit boxes. The metal conventionally used for safe storage boxes is a relatively soft metal, and the front wall of the lock housing, in the above patent, being part of the lid, was thus made of relatively soft metal.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,276,835, Hall, issued Oct. 4, 1966, describes a money box for use in coin machines including a box and a front end attachment which is readily removable from the box. The attachment houses the locking devices and is adapted to fit and lock onto a wall of the apparatus. The front end unit may be easily separated from the box for interchangeability. The Hall patent includes a number of hook-like projections extending from the box proper to engage, in an easily separable manner, the front end attachment so that the money boxes may be easily removed and shipped to a centralized collection station.
There exists on the market a safe deposit box sold by The Gross-Feibel Company, of Hillsboro, Ohio, and sold under the trade name "Lockbox" and identified as the "Lockbox modular unit system". This "Lockbox" modular unit system is apparently manufactured by Miles Osborn, Inc., of 1511 E. Edinger Avenue, Santa Ana, California 92705, U.S.A. The "Lockbox", in accordance with published brochures and the box available on the market, includes a plastic tray portion with a hingeable plastic cover and a lock unit fastened to the front face thereof, the lock unit including a cast or forged metal housing with locking latches adapted to engage recesses provided in a frame on which the lock box is to be set. The front of the forged lock unit includes a front plate which somewhat conforms with the dimensions of the opening into which the tray is submitted.